Of Love and Shadows
by Jaden Anderson
Summary: From the Shadows and Feathers Universe. The Yuletide season has come upon them, Hawke's first without her mother. But Anders has a plan to ensure sadness does not ruin her day.


_A/N: A little piece from my Shadows and Feathers universe. This is Hawke and Anders from that series. Hope you enjoy! All my friends posted today made me want to join in the fun haha. You inspired me ladies!_

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_Of Love and Shadows_

_~a tale~_

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Beaten moonbeams burnished the room into a soft glow. The hearth alight next to her had been stoked only moments ago and provided faint warmth that curled into Hawke's chest. Rising to her feet, she padded lightly across the floor, only to approach the plane-glass bay window that overlooked the brightly lit landscape of Kirkwall. In houses across the city, people were gathered with their loved ones, sharing in yuletide gifts and stories that brought them closer together. As for the Hawke estate, there was a heavy silence weighing on the stone walls.

Bodahn and Sandal were a level below, their usual misfit chaos chasing after them and Dread. To venture down would cost little, but something held her back. This was her first Satinalia without her mother. Her entire family was gone, and it brought with it a depression she'd never felt; one she didn't want to feel. The stark wind and chilled air beyond the four walls was a match to her mood, and the last thing she desired was to spread such coldness. Let the boy and his father have this moment, let Dread sip of their merriment. It was her gift to them. Locked within her room, it was here she could feed her melancholy spirit without reproach. It seemed likely that even her friends were together on this joyous of days, and though she longed for them at this moment, she feared what her mood would bring.

"Hawke?" a soft voice was accompanied by an equally soft rap against her door.

Turning to greet her guest, her eyes widened at the sight of Anders stooped against her doorjamb, his fingers running a fluid path along a golden chain.

"Anders," she murmured, her voice soft with surprise. "I was not-"

"Expecting me?" He offered a smooth chuckle before pushing off the frame and stepping into her chambers. It was as much his as hers, but the past couple of nights he'd been missing, and she'd felt the ache, both in her bed and her heart.

He crossed the room in a quick stride, his arms gathering her up before she could even suck in a breath. Sliding her arms around his waist, she melted into him, and laid her head upon his chest, inhaling his calming scent. How she'd missed this, the feel of him holding her.

"Forgive me," he whispered into her hair. "But there was something I wanted to do, and you would not _believe_ how difficult it was to find an engraver this close to Satinalia."

Hawke tipped her head back until she could meet his warm brandy gaze. The faint stubble darkening his chin proved that he hadn't even found the time to shave in the past days. "An engraver?" she murmured.

With a breathtaking smile, Anders relinquished his hold on her and offered something else. A closed fist hung before her, but between his fingers dangled that golden chain she'd noticed.

"What is it?"

His laugh loosened the weight she felt in her shoulders, and she offered a gentle smile as she gazed up at him once more.

"It's called a gift," he teased her, dropping his mouth against the rounded tip of her nose. "It wouldn't be a gift if I just told you, now would it?"

Her fingers ran along the smooth feathers of his jacket and trailed down the length of his arm until she met his hand. Ghosting across his fingers, she paused for a moment when he shivered. They might have been together for years, yet the thrill and excitement of touching one another had never faded.

Only when her hands cupped his, did his bloom open and within lay a lambent charm with a simple latch holding it closed.

Gingerly plucking it from his palm, Hawke lifted it to the light, her breath catching the moment she turned it over. There, etched into the back of the medallion were the names of her family - Carver, Bethany, Leandra, Malcolm, and he'd even added her own for good measure.

"Anders," she whispered as she blinked back the tears gathering in her eyes.

"You should always remember them," he whispered. "I don't remember much of my family, but yours... there's something special about the Hawke line, and I hate the thought of them all being taken from you."

His words burrowed in her chest, and loosened the depression until it trailed down her smooth cheeks in silent tears.

"You're missing one name," she murmured. "We should go back and add it."

A dent furrowed in Anders' brow as he inspected the back of the medallion. "Which name?"

A sweet smile curved her lips and lit up her face. Leaning into him, she laid her fingertips upon his cheek and drew him in for another kiss. This kiss was different; often they were heated and full of passion as they fought not to rip the clothes from each other's bodies, but this was soft and tender, and Hawke fought to show him everything she felt for him with a single kiss.

Breathless, she broke away from him and dropped down to the flats of her feet. Though confusion still darkened his face, his half-lidded eyes and subtly parted lips burned away the lingering remnants of her sorrow.

"Yours," was all she said before wrapping her arms around him once more and sinking into his warmth. It didn't matter what she'd lost - all that mattered was what she had.


End file.
